Spotlight on Tulsa - the new debtors' prison (crime, credit card)

[Cida]

Is It a Crime to Be Poor?
By Nicholas Kristof


In the 21st century, the United States has reinstated a broad system of debtors’ prisons, in effect making it a crime to be poor.

If you don’t believe me, come with me to the county jail in Tulsa.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/op...poor.html?_r=0

[StillwaterTownie]

Well, that's how the powers that be like to get back at the poor. Put them in jail. Charge by the day on top of their fines. Let them out, but later put them back in after they still can't pay. But when you owe in fines $170,000, they might as well leave you in jail for life. But then Oklahoma is a poorly run state. Anyway, I hope the poor who are in jail only for not paying their fines aren't crowding out space for bad criminals who have been hurting people.

[Mathguy]

Well the article starts out with a half-lie.

They're in jail because they committed crimes and have failed to meet the terms of their sentencing including restitution.

The part they aren't telling you is about the vast majority that do pay their fines and restitution and how if you made those unenforceable without a penalty like incarceration then how would you ever get that back?

This isn't a debtors prison. They aren't in jail for failing to make their car payment or racking up a big credit card debt.

[Howest2008]

African American men can be tossed into jail for a expired tag on theirs automobile .

All I know is that just being without a safety sticker
on your automobile can land an AA in the pokey.

I'm a witness to that.

I'm not going to have enough time to go into it today but at a later time and date maybe I will?

howest2008 put on Probation for a Lack of Safety
Sticker.....missing community service because his
Tulsa Jr. COLLEGE FINAL WAS ON THE SAME DAY,
howest being thrown into pokey by Racist judge.

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